Mistaken Identity
by Saiyaness28
Summary: Newlyweds, Jessica and Rick Adkins are honeymooning in Romania. Everything seems well until Jessica is taken by strange "Bat People". The mysterious Count Victor rescues her, believing her to be his missing wife, and takes her home. Will Rick get her back
1. The Accident

Mistaken Identity

Mistaken Identity

The Accident

Jessica picked up her silver picture frame from the bedside table and gazed at the faded black and white picture within. "You know most women would want to go to Paris, Italy, or Hawaii for their honeymoons. Why Romania?" said Jessica's new husband, Rick. She looked up and smiled at him, "My grandfather used to tell me stories about his childhood there. He said it was the closest thing to heaven as you could possibly get." She said, dreamily. She sat down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "It will be wonderful, I promise." She said and kissed his cheek.

The next day, they landed in Romania. They walked out the airport and both of them gasped in awe. It was like they had stepped back in time. "Look at this! It looks just like the photographs!" Rick ran his hand over his short blonde hair and laughed at the enthusiasm of his wife. He picked up his suitcase and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Let's go get a car. This crap is heavy." The couple went to the airport car rental service and rented a red Cavalier. After putting the luggage in the back they drove into a small village at the base of "Blood Mountain." They quickly realized that they were the only people in a car. The locals here still traveled by horse and wagon. Rick laughed to himself, "Jessie, I think we just stepped into the twilight zone." Jessica grinned and laughed with him. "Pull over at that pub. I'm starving."

The other diners in the pub stared at Jessica and Rick as if they were hideous creatures from the depths of hell. They sat down at a table and ordered some drinks and some local cuisine. As they ate, Rick studied his map, trying to find the road that would lead them to their hotel. "I don't get it. I don't see any road what so ever beyond the mountain. It's like everything just stops. " He whispered. "Go ask for directions." Said Jessica, stirring sugar into her tea. "I don't need directions, I have a map." He replied. She smirked at him, "A map you can't read." Rick sighed heavily, "Fine, I'll ask 'em."

He went up to the bar and asked the cook and the bartender if they spoke English. Rick noticed that they kept looking over at Jessica with terrified expressions on their faces. "Is there something wrong?" he asked. "W-who is that woman with you sir?" asked the woman in heavily accented English. "That's my wife, Jessica. We're here on our honeymoon." He replied, unsure of why they seemed so frightened of her. "She looks just like her." The woman groaned, holding on to her husband's arm for dear life. "Like whom?" asked Rick, glancing over his shoulder at her. Jessica looked towards him and her scarlet lips pulled up in a divine smile and brushed the bangs of her long black hair away from her green eyes. "Countess Caterina Dragomir, the lady of Blood Mountain. She and her husband, the Count, were believed to be vampires. They lived in a castle deep within the wooded forest of the mountain and only came down at night to feed on our people. About fifty years ago, the villagers dragged the Countess from the castle and beheaded her. I swear on my life, your wife is her spitting image." Rick chuckled, amused at their silly superstitious fears. "Jessica's family was from here, I suppose she dose look like a local. Now," he said, taking out his map, "could you please tell me how I can get to the Hotel Crystal Palace in Bucharest?" The woman shook her head, "Oh no sir, the only way out of the village is by the mountain pass, you will have to wait till morning to leave, it will be dark soon." Rick rolled his eyes, "and why do we have to that? Are the monsters going to get us?" Both of them nodded. Rick walked back to the table and pulled Jessica up by the arm. "Let's go."

Against everything he'd just been told, Rick began the drive through the mountain pass. Jessica stared out at the beautiful scenery as story ideas flashed through her mind. "I think I'm going to write a book." She mused out loud to herself. Rick smiled, his teeth were straight and perfect, "What about?" She sighed and leaned back in her seat, I don't know yet, maybe something about Romanian lore. They have plenty of interesting legends and a very rich history. But I'd really like to write something with romance in it. What do you think?" Rick took his eyes off the road to admire Jessica's beauty. "Actually, the people who ran that pub told me an interesting s…" "Rick, watch out!" screamed Jessica. Rick's attention snapped back to the road, in time to catch a glimpse of a grotesque looking creature standing in the road. The car's headlights elluminated the creature's white skin and bat-like wings. "Holly shit!" Panicking, Rick swerved the car to the right and plowed into the side of the mountain. Rick's head slammed into the steering wheel and was rendered unconscious. When he awoke almost an hour later, the roof was ripped off the car and Jessica was gone.


	2. The Count of Blood Mountain

The Count of Blood Mountain

The creatures dragged Jessica to their roost in a nearby cave. She flailed around, kicking, punching and scratching them, trying desperately to get away. A very large male came forth from the darkness and pinned her down with his body. He tore off her denim skirt and pink tee-shirt with one swipe of his sharp claws. Jessica screamed in terror as he ran his long tongue along her neck. The creature roughly parted her legs and she prepared herself for violation.

Suddenly an animalistic roar tore through the night air. All the creatures scattered. Jessica felt a faint coming on. She had to fight to keep her eyes open. She could hear a man's footsteps approaching. "Oh my god! Caterina!" cried a man's voice. The footsteps quickened their pace and Jessica closed her eyes.

Jessica's rescuer rushed to her side. "Caterina?" he cried in disbelief. He frantically brushed her hair away from her face and looked her over for any injuries. That's when he saw the bird shaped birthmark over her right breast. "It is you. My beloved." He whispered in awe, "You've returned to me." He came out of his shock and removed his cape, wrapping her in it, he carried Jessica back to his castle, near the peak of Blood Mountain.

Jessica blinked awake. Her eyes slowly focused then widened when she realized she wasn't alone. A man was sitting at the end of the bed. He was handsome in some strange way, beautiful. He had long black hair that waved at the ends, flawless alabaster skin, high cheekbones, and hypnotic violet eyes. "W-who are you? W-where am I?" She asked frantically looking around for any way of escape. The man's facial features crumpled as if she'd stabbed him. "It's me…Victor." He said, reaching towards her. She shied away from his touch, "Should I know you?" she asked, her voice quivering. Victor's mouth gaped open, "I'm your husband." He said in a heart wrenching tone. "No you're not!" She yelled, pulling the cape tighter around her. "Caterina, don't you recognize me?" He whispered, his smooth voice breaking from the pain of rejection. Jessica's green eyes narrowed, "Caterina? My name's not Caterina; Its Jessica, Jessica Adkins. My husband, Rick and I are here on our honeymoon."

Victor got up and paced around the room. He ran his fingers through his hair, wracking his brain for an explanation for his wife's apparent amnesia. He went back to her and grabbed her hands. He held them to his heart and looked deeply into the deep green eyes he'd fallen in love with centuries before. "I don't know how you lost your memory my love but I assure you. You are Caterina. You have her eyes, her hair…her lips." He whispered, kissing her. "You taste and smell like her." He breathed. He quickly yanked away his cape and touched the bird shaped birthmark with his fingertips. "You even bare her birthmark. It's in the shape of a bird. I'd know it anywhere. I'd know _you _anywhere." Jessica gasped and snatched back the cape to cover herself.

She was beginning to shiver with fright, tears stung her eyes and she let them cascade down her cheeks, "I swear to you, I'm not her." He took her face in his hands and kissed her again. For some reason, Jessica couldn't find the strength to fight against it. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, "I'm so happy your home, Caterina. I've missed you so much!" he whispered, his breath cool against her ear. "I'm sure your memory will return over time. Get some sleep." He said, slipping away from her.

Rick drove the wrecked car back to village. Stumbling into the pub, all the patrons ran to aid him. "Monsters." He mumbled. "They took her." The old woman broke through the crowd, "What did they look like?" she asked. He glared at her, "Like hideous, F-- monsters!" She shook her head in disagreement, a knowing look in her pale eyes, "Not all monsters are ugly, boy."


	3. 500 Years Together

500 Years Together

When Jessica awoke, the sun was already setting on the horizon. She slipped off the bed, wrapping the black cape tighter around her frame. She tiptoed down a long dimly lit hallway. She passed by an open bedroom door and peered inside. There was no bed, only a beautifully engraved coffin. "What the-?" she breathed, entering the room. She approached the closed coffin and hesitantly lifted its lid. Lying inside, with his arms crossed over his chest like a corpse, was Count Victor. Suddenly his violet eyes shot open and he jolted upright. Jessica was startled and let out a shrill scream. She stumbled backwards and fell. Victor was somehow able to get out of his coffin and catch her before she hit the floor. "Are you alright?" he asked, his eyes holding a concerned expression. She pried herself from his arms and got to her feet. "I'm fine." She said, adjusting the cape. "What the hell were you doing in that thing?" she muttered, her cheeks going red as she realized that the cape had fallen open in a very bad place.

"I always sleep in my coffin." He replied, arching an eyebrow. "Why?" she asked again, "Ever try a bed?" His lips curved down in a scowl, "You really don't remember a thing do you?" He sighed in frustration, "I don't believe it! Hundreds years of marriage down the drain! Looks like we'll have to start all over." He stood straighter and tugged at the sleeve of his ruffled shirt. His violet eyes lit up in the candlelight that suddenly sparked to life, "I'm a vampire."

Jessica began to laugh hysterically, "A vampire! You've got to be kidding me! Vampires aren't real!" "I beg to differ." Whispered the count in a low dangerous voice. His eyes turned blood red, his fingers elongated into claws and his canine teeth became sharp fangs. Terrified, Jessica bolted from the room and barreled down a winding staircase to the front door. Wrenching the door open she started to run outside, her eyes blinded with fear. However there was nowhere to run. There was no land to step on outside the door. Realizing this just in time, she clutched onto the doorframe and climbed back inside the castle. She slammed the door shut and pressed her back against it, breathing hard.

"This castle was built into the side of a cliff." Said Victor's unmistakable voice. Jessica looked towards the staircase. Victor was leaning against the railing, puffing on a thin cigar. "It's inaccessible to mortals." He added, smoke fuming from his lips. "Even if you did, by some miracle find your way down, you'd never reach the village before nightfall. The crawlers' nests riddle these mountains. If you escaped and they caught you again, I couldn't promise you that I'd be able to save you again." Jessica slumped to the floor and cradled her head in her hands. "Great, I'm trapped here with a mad man."

Victor offered her his hand, "Let's get you something to wear, shall we. That cape isn't leaving much to the imagination." Jessica looked down at the cape. It had fallen open again. She quickly fixed it and got to her feet, her face flushing crimson.

Victor gave her an elegant black dress to wear. She had a little trouble with the corset and much to her horror, had to ask for his assistance. She twirled in front of the mirror and admired her reflection. The dress was a perfect fit. It hugged her body in all the right places and the corset gave her the rack of a sex goddess. "I always liked that dress on you. Your body looks amazing in it." Said Victor. Jessica whirled around to face him. She hadn't known he was still in the room. He was standing right in the doorway but she hadn't seen his reflection in the mirror. "You really are a vampire aren't you?" He flashed her a fanged grin, leaning his face towards hers, "One of the oldest." He whispered, his eyes flashing like lightning.

He moved to kiss her but Jessica backed away from him before their lips could meet. She walked over to a table where a bunch of picture frames were set in a display. She picked each of them up and studied them carefully. Every picture was that of Victor and Caterina in a different location and different era. They all had dates written on them. "Wow, she really does look like me." Jessica noted. Victor didn't say anything. "Paris in 1920, Italy in 1890, Germany in 1935, New York City in 1948. You sure traveled a lot." Victor snubbed out his cigar in an ashtray on a bedside table and came to stand behind Jessica. He picked up the old black and white photo of he and Caterina at Liberty Island. Looking at their pictures still made his heart ache, even now that she'd returned to him; If only she could remember their life together, all those memories. "We went around the world eight times, searching for others like myself. Unfortunately my kind are very good at staying hidden. I never did find anyone. She loved traveling with me, seeing worlds she could only have dreamed of before we met. Staying one place for too long can get boring after a while." He said and sat the photo back down. "How long have you and Caterina been married?" asked Jessica. A sharp pain ran through Victor's heart, " Five hundred years, to the day."

An old clock chimed, the sound brought a smile to Victor's face. He grabbed Jessica's hand and pulled her down the winding staircase. "Where are we going? She asked. "It's time to feed the babies." He replied leering over his shoulder at her. "…babies…?"

They made their way up the highest tower of the castle. Victor opened a bolted door at the very top. He threw it open and Jessica's green eyes were met with a horror she'd only seen in her darkest nightmares. Thousands of bats hung from the rafters and swooped around the room. There were a dozen cages lined up against the walls, several holding itsy bitsy batlings. Victor sauntered over to one of the cages and took out one of the baby bats.

He held it gently in his hands, letting it crawl up his arm to his chest. The little creature clutched onto the ruffles of Victor's shirt began to cry. "You're hungry aren't you Gomez?" He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small bottle filled halfway with milk. He took the bat gently in one hand and began feeding it the bottle. Jessica stood at the door, studying the vampire count and his "children". "He's a vampire bat right? Shouldn't you be feeding him blood?" Victor smiled as he began walking towards her, "He's just a baby, he doesn't even have fangs yet." Before Jessica could run away, he placed Gomez on her shoulder. "Ack!" was all she could force out of her throat. What the hell kind of noise was that? "Gomez is one of my favorites. He's only about two weeks old. His mother sadly died of rabies." Said Victor, Jessica thought she heard a hint of amusement in his voice. Baby Gomez crawled up onto her neck and nuzzled his face under her chin. Jessica's eyebrow began to twitch nervously.

Despite her disgust, a giggle erupted from Jessica as the bat's fur rubbed up against the skin of neck. "Get off! Get it off! Get…it…OFF!!" she yelled, fighting the urge to rip the delicate baby off of her and throw it in Victor's face. Victor took it back and petted Gomez' head affectionately. He put him back in his cage and went over to a lever. "Brace yourself." Victor warned her then pulled down on the lever. The roof opened up and thousands of backs twirled upward, their bodies were so close together that the swarm became a dark mass, like a giant black shadow reaching up into the night sky.

The bats flew around Victor as they exited the castle. The wind from their wings made his long hair and clothes dance. He stretched out his arms as they flew by, making it look like the bats were doing his bidding. Through the thunder of flapping wings and screeching bats, Jessica could hear his blood-freezing laugh.

With all the bats gone, Victor escorted her back downstairs. He cooked her a delicious rabbit stew and watched her eat it. His vibrant eyes watched her every move. She finally had enough and slammed the spoon down on the table. "Would you stop staring at me!" He blinked out of his daze and leaned back in his chair. He locked eyes with her from across the table, his face taking on a sullen expression. "I'm sorry, it's just…I haven't had a descent meal since you disappeared. I've been surviving on rats, rabbits and the occasional deer." He reached over and took her wrist in his hand, not taking his eyes away from hers. His thumb traced the vein of her arm as he spoke to her, "I'd give anything to taste your sweet blood again." Jessica snatched back her hand. "I keep telling you, you've got the wrong woman. I'm not Caterina. Can't you get that through your thick skull?" she raged, her eyes narrowed. "No two people taste the same, no matter how similar they may appear. I once fed on a pair of twins. One was sour while the other was sweet. Let me have a taste and then I will know without a shadow of a doubt who you really are."

She should have slapped him across the face and ran off to hide, but Jessica stalled. She had to get out of here, she had to get back to Rick, no matter what the cost. She slowly got out of her chair and went around him. She sat in his lap and pulled her long hair over her shoulder, offering up her slender neck to the vampire. Her fierce green eyes burned into his violet ones, "Don't you dare turn me." He traced her jaw line with his fingertips and leaned in closer for better access. "I'd do nothing of the sort, my love"

He made a hissing sound as his canines extended into fangs. Jessica whimpered as he sunk his teeth into her flesh. Slowly, he sucked away her blood, savoring the taste. It was a familiar taste to his tongue. Jessica's breathing became ragged, her back arched and low moaning escaped her lips. Her slender fingers clutched onto his shirt and Victor wrapped his arms around her, pressing her bust tight against his chest. He could hear her rapid heart beat in his head, she sounded excited. Perhaps, almost as excited as he was. Feeling her strength slipping, He swallowed the blood that had pooled into his mouth and released her from his jaws' vice like hold. She sighed and collapsed in his arms in exhaustion. Victor planted a small kiss on her lips, "Happy anniversary, …Caterina." He whispered against her skin.


End file.
